Before October Comes September

It may seem obvious to most people, but before you can get to October, you need to get through September. In baseball, October is synonymous with the Playoffs. Eight teams go in, and one comes out, Champions of the World. The other 22 teams, however, call it a season, go home, and spend some much needed time with family and friends. Trust me, no matter how fun it may look to play baseball for a living, the grind of the 162-game regular season is a tough one. Heck, by the end of the year, your average player is probably sick of his own team's logo.

September though, can be the most exciting time of the year, or it can be the hardest time of the year. It all depends on who you are rooting for and whether or not your team is in a race for a spot in the playoffs. Here in Kansas City, the local sportscasters and writers were so excited for the Chiefs training camp. To them it meant the end of the need to spend time on the Royals, and the beginning of a new NFL season. I'm sure there are many people here that feel the same way. After all, even though the Royals made some strides (you may say baby-steps, but I'm a Royals optimist) by avoiding a fourth 100-loss season in a row, and stringing together a few winning months, they still may not make it out of the cellar of the American League Central division. So, for some Royals fans, September is when you stow away your powder blue, break out your red and yellow, and head on down to Arrowhead for some pre-game brats.

Not me.

I must admit though, I haven't been as diligent in reading the post-game reports and newspaper articles as I was at the height of the summer. I know the season is coming to an end, and I realize that every game left from here on out is basically meaningless, as far as the standings are concerned. But, October is just around the corner, and for you National League fans, this final week of the season is going to be great. With everything still up in the air, virtually every game will have some bearing on an organization's playoff hopes.

But what about those of us who are not from Cleveland, who can no longer root for the Red Sox in good conscience, and loathe that team from the Bronx. I guess there's the Angels. The Cubbies are always a feel good favorite, but they may not make the playoffs. I guess I'll just have to wait and see, but trust me, we all need to pick a team and ride them out. The playoffs can produce some of the greatest moments in sports, and you wouldn't want to miss them just because your Devil Rays didn't make the cut this year. Because, after all, just because my Royals will be done by this time next week, I still love baseball. And, with that in mind, here are some great ads from FOX sports. Enjoy!